Empath: The Luckiest Smurf (series)
The Empath: The Luckiest Smurf story series is Vic George's series of Smurfs fanfiction stories featuring his main character Empath. Like the novel which is part of the story series, most of these stories take place sometime after Season 5 of the Smurfs cartoon show, but are set in an alternate universe which includes characters and elements from the original comic books, the animated version of ''The Smurfs And The Magic Flute'', Sony Pictures Animation's ''The Smurfs'' film series, Smurfs: The Lost Village, and the Smurfs PVC toy line. Intro Sequence Pre-Lost Year Intro Sequence: The music would be a modified version of the Smurfs cartoon show theme song Empath narrates the intro, as it begins in similar fashion to the Season 1 intro sequence, with Empath appearing in it. "Salutations. I am Empath Smurf, and this is the world that this smurf lives in." There is a zoom-in through the forest similar to the Season 7 intro sequence until we see the Smurf Village, and the Smurfs doing their various activities. "These are my people, the Smurfs. They live peaceful joyful lives in a village hidden in the forest. They are my friends and family." Then there is an establishing shot of Psychelia, and scenes of how the Psyches live their lives, with one of Empath being punished by the Psyche Master. "This was my life before I knew who I was. How often I wish that I never lived it." Then there are shots of various villains and threats in the Smurf Forest, which include Hogatha, Lord Balthazar, and Chlorhydris. "But here among the Smurfs, I deal with much greater problems." Then it returns to Empath standing somewhere in the Smurf Forest, before we see the EMPATH: THE LUCKIEST SMURF title appearing. "There isn't a situation that the Smurfs can't handle together, but when it comes to the really tough problems, that's where I come in...Empath." Smurfed Behind Intro Sequence: The music played would be a variation of the Season 9 intro sequence music, only sounding a bit darker. As Empath narrates the intro, we see parts of what took place in "Smurfed Behind: The Departure". The montage of scenes end with Empath and Polaris standing out near the edge of the forest with the EMPATH: THE LUCKIEST SMURF IN SMURFED BEHIND title appearing. "Salutations. I am Empath Smurf, and a terrible thing has happened. Around my birthday, my fellow Smurfs have found a baby dinosaur, and Papa Smurf and Grandpa Smurf used the Key of Chronos to bring the dinosaur back home to his own time. The problem is, the key caused all of my fellow Smurfs to be sent back in time as well. Father Time isn't able to bring them all back, so me and Polaris Psyche have set out into the world to find a way to return them safely home. And by the Great Ancestors, that's what I intend to accomplish...or my name isn't Empath." Post-Lost Year Intro Sequence: Narrator provides the voice-over for the entire sequence. It begins with what seems to be inside a rainbow-colored tunnel that ends with the appearance of the Smurf Village. A hundred Smurfs all come out of what appears to be a vortex into the center of the village, all looking happy to be home, until they noticed Polaris Psyche kneeling next to a fallen Empath. Narrator: And so, after a year of traveling through time, the Smurfs finally made it back home, where everything is nice and smurfy again...or so it seemed. As the camera zooms into Empath, it transitions into him sleeping on a bed and waking up to meeting his fellow Smurfs again. Smurfette greets him with a kiss, while Jokey greets him with a present, which Brainy takes away and opens, causing it to explode in his face while Jokey laughs. Wild Smurf leaps into the room and somersaults his way onto the foot of the bed. The Smurflings all gather around Empath's bed and he gives them a nice big group hug, smiling with joy. Then it cuts to the appearances of Balthazar, Hogatha, Chlorhydris, and various other villains that would be introduced in the coming years. Empath then gets out of bed, gets dressed up in his star-pattern suit, his blue shirt, and a red cape before he heads out the door. The Smurfs watch as Empath launches himself into the sky and flies off into the forest. Wild Smurf leaps out into the forest and grabs a vine to swing his way through the trees. The sequence ends with Empath flying straight into the camera, which then transitions into the EMPATH: THE LUCKIEST SMURF title logo appearing on the screen. Narrator: Fortunately, when evil smurfs its appearance in our forest, there's still one Smurf who will smurf out for us...and his name is Empath, the luckiest Smurf. Breakup Period Intro Sequence: As an edited version of Toto's "I Won't Hold You Back" plays, the intro starts with Empath and Smurfette holding hands with each other, seeming to have a joyful moment together, until dark clouds hover above them and Smurfette turns away from Empath, seemingly sad, with Empath confused. Empath reaches out to try comforting Smurfette, only to find her turn into one of the Smurfs' adversaries. Empath sees that all his adversaries have appeared, so he fights his way through them to reach Smurfette, only to find that she is still walking away from him. He finds himself surrounded by his other friends and fellow Smurfs for comfort, as the scene fades and the EMPATH: THE LUCKIEST SMURF title logo appears on the screen. Marriage And Beyond Intro Sequence: A book opens and we see it zoom into a picture of Empath as he first returns to the Smurf Village upon his 150th birthday, first meeting Smurfette and receiving his first star-patterned suit for his birthday. Then the pages turn and we see various events happening in Empath's life, with Empath and Smurfette being together through the events, including when Empath and Smurfette are separated from each other during The Lost Year. Finally the page turns to Empath and Smurfette kissing each other at the wedding, and the two flying off together on a stork to their honeymoon, with JUST MARRIED appearing on the bird's tail. (Later seasons will show Empath meeting the Smurfettes and Empath and Smurfette having their first child as the final pages.) The picture book closes, with EMPATH: THE LUCKIEST SMURF appearing on its cover. Summaries NOTE: The following summaries only cover the completed stories in the series. For stories that are currently being worked on or are yet to be worked on, see Empath: The Luckiest Smurf (series)/Unfinished stories. * "Purple Reign Of Terror" An adaptation of the comic book and cartoon show version of "The Purple Smurfs", with Empath appearing in cameo. * "I Dream Of Smurfette" A flashback story told to Empath about the "Smurfette dream" that he and his fellow Smurfs had, starting from the time that Smurfette became a member of the village after she was transformed into a real Smurf. * "Vanity's Double" A flashback story told to Empath about how Vanity's "twin brother" Century integrated as part of the village following his arrival into the world in the cartoon show episode "The Hundredth Smurf". This leads into the events that took place in "The Adventures Of Robin Smurf". * "Smurfing In Paradise" A Smurfs fanfiction adaptation of the comic book story "Bathing Smurfs". A few years before Empath's final return, Handy gets away from the Smurf Village to a beautiful lake in the mountains, and ends up building a private beach resort that becomes so popular that all the Smurfs want to go to it. * "Papa's Big Crush" This story is created as an unofficial follow-up to "Romeo And Smurfette". Papa Smurf is starting to have affectionate feelings for Smurfette that ultimately manifest themselves in a grotesque way when the village leader is accidentally changed into a muscular love-crazed version of himself who is after Smurfette. * "Smurfette's Frog Prince" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "The Prince And The Hopper" featuring Empath. * "Smurphony Of The Night" The Smurfs are holding their annual Smurfstock music festival when Handy and Miner accidentally bring a vampire Smurf named Lord Vladimir Smurfula into the village, who seduces Smurfette into becoming his eternal companion, and Empath must stop him from doing so. * "Days Of Future Smurfed" Empath is visited by what appears to be his future self and is given a thousand years worth of memories of what's going to happen to him, his fellow Smurfs, and the entire village. * "Empath And The Red-Nosed Reindeer" Empath and the Smurflings discover a reindeer lost in the forest with a red shiny nose on Christmas Eve. They bring him to the village in the hopes that they would give him a good home when Chlorhydris the witch covers the forest with a thick fog, hoping it would stop the flight of Nicholas the toymaker and his delivery of toys. * "Virtual Smurfality" On a cold snowy day in the dead of winter, Papa Smurf comes up with his own version of Homnibus' Imaginarium room where the Smurfs can actually interact with whatever they can imagine. A problem occurs when most of the Smurfs go off into their own fantasies, and only Empath, Smurfette, and the Smurflings can rescue them before the Imaginarium crystals are totally destroyed. * "The Orb Of Inspiration" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "The Lure Of The Orb". * "The Innocence Of A Smurf" It is a special observance day where the Smurfs examine their own personal faults, to confess them, and to be cleansed by swimming across the Pool of Souls, when Empath is confronted by a fault he committed that may cost him his life. * "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" The Smurflings are transported to the magical world of Odds by a tornado -- and the three boys are turned into characters from the story! Sassette must find them along the path that leads to the Emerald Village and seek help from the Wizard of Odds so that her friends can be restored to normal and that they can return home. * "The No Hug Zone" It is Hug-A-Smurf Day, which is Grouchy's least favorite day of the year, and Empath and Tapper have designated the tavern as a "No Hug Zone" for Grouchy to feel safe in. How long can they keep Grouchy safe from the hug-muggers? * "Papa Smurf & Mama Smurfette" A follow-up to "Romeo And Smurfette" and "Papa's Big Crush", where Empath's time-traveling descendant Traveler examines an alternate timeline where Smurfette falls in love with, and marries, Papa Smurf. * "Little Sister Smurf Lost" Sassette is being awakened by an evil that has gotten hold of her years ago when she was a little Smurfling who ran away from the village, and her target is Hefty. * "The Exile From Psychelia" It is a year after Empath's final return from Psychelia, and Polaris Psyche has fled from there in search of Empath. With Polaris' arrival in the Smurf Forest he brings trouble along, and Empath and the Smurfs must deal with the Psyches as they come to retrieve Polaris. * "Polaris' Fantasy" Empath's friend Polaris Psyche is finally a member of the Smurf Village, and he has trouble interacting with the other Smurfs until a female being called Elatia appears in the Imaginarium beach setting where the Smurfs have their Summer Solstice celebration. However, Empath and Polaris discover that Elatia is more than just a mere creation from Polaris' imagination when she tries to take over Smurfette's body. * "Empath The Bandit Smurf" A Smurfs fanfiction adaptation of the comic book story "The Jewel Smurfer". Empath during a training session with Century loses his memory and is taken by a couple of entertainers to perform for people, then is later used by a criminal mastermind to steal valuables from the townsfolk. Papa Smurf and four other Smurfs follow after Empath to find him and restore his memory. * "Monkey On Your Smurf" Handy brings Clockwork Smurf back to life by giving him a new mechanical body with some new features such as a hat that squirts liquid from it (similar to his counterpart in the original Smurf comic books), while Empath and the other Smurfs deal with various types of mutations and strange behaviors such as Papa Smurf's restlessness and flaring temper. * "Where No Smurf Has Gone Before" This story is created as an unofficial follow-up to "The Astro Smurf" and "Dreamy's Pen Pals". Empath finds Dreamy desiring to travel the stars again when an alien spaceship lands in the Smurf forest, complete with a computer that seems to be alive. Empath, Dreamy, and Handy borrow the spaceship to help fulfill Dreamy's wish to travel the stars, but they end up running into another alien race called the Schliphargons who are intending to capture them and use them as their slaves. * "Another Egg-Citing Day" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "The Magic Egg" with elements of the comic book story "The Egg And The Smurfs". * "The Enchanted Evergreen" Around the time of Christmas, as Empath, Polaris, and Timber go out into the forest to get an evergreen for their Christmas tree, Timber tells of the first Winter Solstice the Smurfs had after their parents had passed away when he discovered an enchanted evergreen that was actually an elf cursed in the form of a tree. * "A Boy Named Nicholas" Empath tells Polaris of the first time the Smurfs met Nicholas the toymaker, when he was yet a young boy who was stranded in the forest around the time of the Winter Solstice. * "Days Of Auld Lang Smurf" It is around New Year's Eve, and most of the Smurfs are thinking about their loved ones who have passed away years ago, which Chlorhydris the evil witch takes advantage of by casting a spell on them that makes them think their loved ones have returned back from the dead. But can Smurfette and Polaris Psyche convince them that what they think they're seeing is not real? * "Hefty, The Luckiest Smurf" Traveler takes Empath on a journey to see what life would be like if Empath was to return to Psychelia and Smurfette would fall in love with and marry Hefty. * "Wedding Bells For Bigmouth" Smurfette recalls to Empath and Smurfette the day that the Smurfs married Bigmouth and Bignose as a couple together. * "Snaggers Keepers" Empath deals with his fellow Smurf Nabby, who just can't seem to keep his hands off other Smurfs' personal things, when he takes and accidentally loses Polaris Psyche's meditational stone. While searching for the missing stone, Nabby takes a gnome's magical amulet as a substitute, not knowing the trouble he brings to the village. * "My Unsmurfy Valentine" While Clumsy comes to terms with what he feels for his friend Brainy on Valentine's Day, the rogue cherub Eros attacks the Smurfs by inflaming their hearts with his lust arrows, bringing him into conflict with Cupid and his daughter Charity. * "The Grouchiest Friendship" This story takes place during Empath's first visit to the Smurf Village, where he is learning about how he is a Smurf and how Smurfs live their lives. It is during this visit that he tries to be friends with one Smurf nobody would thought any Smurf could be friends with -- Grouchy. * "The Fear Of Smurfitude" This story takes place during Empath's third visit to the Smurf Village, when he is given his own Smurf house to live in and take care of. However, he finds it difficult to sleep alone in his new house, especially when somebody is in his dreams trying to draw him to be used for an evil purpose. * "Handy's Flying Lessons" This story is divided into two parts: the first part takes place during one of Empath's visits, where Empath's demonstration of his then-recent ability to fly inspires Handy to come up with his own way to fly, most of them usually ending up in failure; the second part takes place during Empath's final absence from the village, where Handy unveils his smurfplane invention and uses it to rescue Smurfette from the clutches of Gargamel. * "For The Smurf Of Money" A Smurfs fanfiction adaptation of "The Finance Smurf". Trader tells Empath about how a gold coin that was part of the Smurfs money system -- and now part of his collection -- came into being. * "The Great Book Of Answers" A Smurfs fanfiction adaptation of "The Smurfs And The Book That Tells Everything". Brainy tells Empath about a magic book that he discovers in Papa Smurf's laboratory that speaks and answers questions, and how his possession of the book causes a lot of trouble. * "Smurfing Like A Ray Of Sunshine" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Can't Smurf The Music" featuring Empath. * "Handy's Wild Road Trip" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Smurfs On Wheels". This time it's Empath and Papa Smurf along a few friends and the Smurflings that go on a hike to Dreamy Steamy Springs. * "The Smurf Of Solomon" Empath and Smurfette enter an Imaginarium fantasy setting based on the book from the Bible called the Song Of Solomon. * "Salad Smurfs: The Movie" An adaptation of the comic book story "Salad Smurfs", presented in the form of a movie that Empath and Smurfette watch together. * "The Little Genie In The Garden" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Farmer's Genie" featuring Empath. * "Chez Empath" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Greedy Goes On Strike" featuring Empath. * "Gargamel's First Catch" An adaptation of "The Smurfnapper", where the Smurfs' first meeting with Gargamel is explained. * "The Smurf Of Many Colors" The Smurfs put on a play called Joseph And His Amazing Smurficolor Dreamcoat featuring Empath in the lead role of Joseph. It is based on the story from the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible. * "Under The Cat's Paw" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "All Creatures Great And Smurf", where Tapper finds a wounded Azrael and takes him to the village to be treated by his fellow Smurfs. * "Where The Wind Carries You" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Never Smurf Off Til Tomorrow", where Tapper is trapped in a volcano with five other Smurfs when a hurricane carries off the windmill they were in. * "The Magic Flute With Six Holes" An adaptation of "The Smurfs And The Magic Flute", with Narrator telling Empath and Polaris how the Smurfs first met Johan and Peewit. * "A Vision Of The Blue Moon" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Once In A Blue Moon", with Tapper telling how Baby Smurf first came to the Smurf Village. * "The New Smurfs On The Block" An adaptation of the cartoon show episodes "The Smurflings", "Puppy", and "Sassette", with the Smurfs telling how Puppy and the Smurflings first came to the Smurf Village. * "Smurfnip Madness" A story that takes place a few years before Empath's final return from Psychelia, where Gargamel uses the addictive substance called smurfnip to capture the Smurfs. * "Is There A Doctor In The Village?" An adaptation of both the cartoon show episode "Calling Doctor Smurf" and the comic book story "The Haunted Castle" from Forever Smurfette. Smurfette tells Polaris Psyche how Dabbler first became a doctor. * "The Smurf Impersonators" An adaptation of the cartoon show version of "The Fake Smurf" and "The Mr. Smurf Contest", with Narrator telling Polaris how Hogatha and Gargamel disguised themselves as Smurfs. * "Flowerbell's Love Triangle" Flowebell's back in Papa Smurf's life...and she isn't alone. The imp who was after Smurfette in "Smurfette's Dancing Shoes" is back, and this time he's after Flowerbell to marry her. * "Inside The Game" Hefty becomes a champion of playing a new game on Handy's Game Wand invention...and is accidentally transported into a world where he must play the game for real! * "Pushover Pushes Back" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "The Smurf Who Couldn't Say No", as Empath and Polaris both learn the reason for Pushover's new name. * "To Everything There Is A Season" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Squeaky". * "At The Mercy Of Thy Enemy" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "The Incredible Shrinking Wizard", which centers around how Gargamel became a temporary member of the Smurf Village. * "Polaris' Smurfy New Life" Polaris Psyche is suffering from a degenerative disease, and the Smurfs produce for him a cure that temporarily turns him into the likeness of a Smurf. * "A Haunted Christmas" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Haunted Smurfs", centered around Smurfette's first Christmas in the Smurf Village. * "The Rise And Fall Of Smurfy Tower" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Skyscraper Smurfs" featuring Empath. * "Brenda's Boy Trouble" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Scruple's Sweetheart", featuing Empath and replacing Gargamel, Scruple, and Azrael with Severus, Jeanty, and Rascal. * "Smurfette's Evil Mirror" Smurfette's magic compact becomes the basis for Handy's improved version of the telesmurf, but Gargamel wants to use this new invention as a way to manipulate the Smurfs. * "Empath And The Golden Magic Bird" Tracker and the boy Smurflings find a golden magic bird that can grant wishes, and Lord Balthazar wants to get his hands on that bird for his evil purposes. * "Smurfette's Genie" Smurfette finds a genie named Ghinelle that can grant her wishes, but this genie may turn out to be more trouble than it's worth. * "Remaining Anonymous" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Nobody Smurf", where Anonymous and Clumsy accidentally release a goblin who starts turning other Smurfs into goblins. * "The High Cost Of Smurfing" Vanity isn't the same Smurf that he was since he visited Periwinkle the pixie, as he's hiding a secret from his fellow Smurfs that could be very dangerous. * "The Other Smurfette"' Hogatha, desirous to get even with the Smurfs, decides to infiltrate the village again, this time as a female Smurf whose beauty would sway the male Smurfs away from Smurfette. However, an incident between Empath and her would lead him to being guilty of a crime that he didn't commit. * "The Night Of The Weresmurf"' An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "I Was A Brainy Weresmurf", featuring both Brainy and Crazy as were-Smurfs. * "Wild's First Christmas" An adaptation of the cartoon show special "'Tis The Season To Be Smurfy" featuring Empath. * '"A Wild Winter Solstice"' A story of Empath's first meeting of Wild when he was still a Smurfling, during the time of his first year of visiting the Smurfs. * "The Castle At The Crossroads" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Lost Smurf", where Grandpa Smurf comes to the rescue of Nanny Smurf, who was trapped inside the mysterious Castle Captor. * "Smurfed Behind: The Departure" A "story board web comic" story that takes place around the time of the Season 9 episode "The Smurfs That Time Forgot", this is about how Empath and Polaris were the only ones left behind while every other Smurf is trapped in time by the use of the Key Of Chronos to bring an unfrozen baby dinosaur back home. * "Smurfed Behind: Smurfing In Heaven" Taking place during The Lost Year, Empath becomes so depressed that he wishes to die and join his fellow Smurfs in the hereafter, and his wish is granted. But is the "smurfy hereafter" really as smurfy as it actually is? * "Smurfed Behind: The Passion Of The Smurfs" Taking place during The Lost Year, Papa Smurf and all the Smurfs wind up in Jerusalem during the final week of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry before His death, and they attract unwanted attention from a certain Judas Iscariot. * "Smurfed Behind: The Other Side Of The Mirror" Taking place during The Lost Year, Empath and Polaris both discover a magic mirror that transports them to a world where the Smurfs are all evil and Gargamel is a good wizard. * "Empath's Wedding" This takes place at the epilogue of the original novel and is an expansion of the epilogue, as Empath and Smurfette realize after ten years of living together that it's time for them to be married. However, one Smurf who still loves Smurfette is totally against the union taking place. * "Empath's Honeymoon" Empath and Smurfette may have gotten more than they bargained for when it came to going on their honeymoon together to Utopia Island. * "Grouchy And The Love Doll" Grouchy, jealous of the relationship Empath has with Smurfette, creates for himself a love doll to express his feelings with...and all goes well until the doll is given life. * "The Birth Of Psycheliana" A three-chapter chronicle of events that revolve around Empath and Smurfette having a baby together and how they deal with the problems that come with pregnancy. * "Who's That Smurfette?" An adaptation of the cartoon show version of "The Smurfette", with Smurfette telling the story to her daughter Psycheliana. * "Dreamy's Birthday Wish" A combined adaptation of both the comic book and cartoon show versions of "The Astro Smurf", with Smurfette telling her daughter Psycheliana how Dreamy first traveled to the stars to meet the Swoofs. * "The Many Loves Of Smurfette" An adaptation of the cartoon show version of "Romeo And Smurfette", with Smurfette telling the story to her daughter Psycheliana. * "The New Shop In The Village" After the legalization of smurfnip and having troubles with the current proprietor of Tapper's Tavern, Chatty and Nosey decide to open up their own shop in the Smurf Village called The Wake N Bake Brew Shop to draw some customers away from the tavern. * "The Once And Smurfy King" An adaptation of the comic book version of "King Smurf", with Brainy's daughter Sophia writing it as a book to discredit the idea that her father was ever actually King Smurf. * "Brainy's Really Beard Story" An adaptation of the cartoon show episode "Symbols Of Wisdom", with Brainy telling Psycheliana and Miracle about his various attempts to be listened to. * "A Wedding To Remember" An adaptation of the cartoon show special "Smurfily Ever After", told during the time of Miracle and Psycheliana's wedding. Notable Differences Some notable differences that exist between the Smurfs of this story series and those of the cartoon show series on which it is partially based include: * Most of the young adult Smurfs that Papa Smurf calls "his little Smurfs" are all physically born of Papa Smurf's own fellow Smurfs, some of which are even related to each other (such as Handy and Hefty being twin brothers). * Baby Smurf and the Smurflings are mentioned as coming from Smurfling Island, with Sassette being a real female Smurf who was trapped in a suspended animation crystal instead of being another artificially-created female Smurf like Smurfette. * Smurfs are physically born instead of coming by stork from an unknown location in both the comic books and the cartoon series. * Smurfberries have been known to exist in the Smurf Village, whereas in the cartoon show they were a rather recent introduction as per the episode "Smurfs At Sea". Like the cartoon show, smurfberries are depicted as red, except for when a blue moon is about to appear, which at that occasion they will appear blue. * There's a notable mix of characters from both the cartoon show and the comic books, with some additional characters imported from the 2011 Smurfs movie. * An element carried over from the comic books is that the Smurfs in this story series tend to drink alcoholic beverages, such as sarsaparilla ale. * The Swoofs as they appear in "The Astro Smurf", "Dreamy's Pen Pals", and "Where No Smurf Has Gone Before" are orange-skinned as in the comic books instead of green-skinned as in the cartoon show, with Grandpa Swoof having both orange skin and white hair. Continuity With The Cartoon Show Most if not all episodes from the Smurfs cartoon show from Season 1 to Season 5 are considered canonical to the EMPATH story series. However, some elements in the original stories may be completely different. With Nat Smurfling no longer originally being an adult Smurf, stories that featured the adult Nat would feature either Tracker or Tapper as a substitute character. Gargamel's first meeting with the Smurfs would take place in an adaptation of the comic book story "The Smurfnapper", thus negating "Gargamel's Time Trip". The Smurfs' first meeting with Johan and Peewit would take place in an adaptation of the comic book story "The Smurfs And The Magic Flute", which is considered non-canonical to the cartoon show. The Season 9 episodes would be different in that there are now a larger cast of Smurf characters appearing in the stories as they also are time-traveling. This would take place in what is called The Lost Year. Continuity With The Novel It should be noted that the stories themselves share loosely the same continuity as the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf novel itself, since it was originally written as a standalone story in of itself and the stories in the series merely acknowledge that the events of the novel took place in the same universe, but the details may differ between the stories and the novel. Desired Animated Style The desired animated style of the series would be a cross between the CGI style Smurfs used in Sony Pictures' live-action The Smurfs series and the CGI style Smurfs used in the upcoming Smurfs: The Lost Village film, with elements of Disney/Pixar's Brave used for depicting scenery. Humans and various creatures would appear as close to their original cartoon depictions as possible. The overall aim of the art style is to make the Smurfs look real enough to make Empath and Polaris' experiences with them to be believable and relatable to people, as Vic George feels that 2D-style animation would ultimately detract from getting the point across, reducing the stories to nothing more than a cartoon, and should simply be used for storyboarding the final product. Desired Series Soundtrack The desired instrumental soundtrack for most of the series would be similar to that of the music composed by Heitor Pereira for Sony Pictures' 2011 The Smurfs movie. Ideally, the soundtrack shouldn't overpower the dialogue as it did for the 1980s Smurfs cartoon show, but should show the proper dynamic as the situation in the stories change and remain muted whenever there is dialogue going on between characters, much like how the later Star Trek series used their soundtracks in each episode. Primary Characters * Empath * Papa Smurf * Smurfette * Polaris Psyche * Tapper * Duncan McSmurf See Also * Empath: The Luckiest Smurf (series)/Mini-stories * Empath: The Luckiest Smurf (series)/Timeline of events * Reporter's Inside Stories, a series of interviews with the characters in the story series. * A Narrator's Story (series), a series of stories told by Narrator Smurf. External Link * Empath: The Luckiest Smurf stories at Vic George's Imaginarium Category:Series Category:VicGeorge2K9's articles